Infant Child Care

I am a child care provider with an education in the field. I would begin to look for something before the baby is born, or you will be scrambling during your short time off with the baby. Many places do have waiting lists for infants.
If you are looking for family (home) care environment, ask if the caregiver is licensed and/or has an education or experience with children. See if she has all the appropriate facilities to care for your child and be sure she doesn't have more than two children under the age of 18mos. at one time. Request that she complete a sheet that tells you how/what your infant did that day, eg. diapering, sleeping, eating, etc. Also be sure that her house is completely child proof in all areas your child may be. She should have no more that six total children at one time. The home should be set up in a way that is child-friendly and has plenty of supplies and play things for children. She should provide learning activites for all children daily. Be sure to have a contract with your caregiver and ask that she she claim her income for your tax purposes and provide you with her tax ID and an end of the year receipt.
If you are looking for a center, ask if they are accredited by NAEYC, as this ensures they are providing the highest level of care and maintaining strict staffing standards, pratices, and ratios. Be sure that the facility is clean and that the caregivers have had backround checks (before they are permitted to work). The caregivers should appear friendly and kind. Set up a time to go visit and watch.

Congratulations! It is very over whelming but things will be fine. Look for something that has a low child to teacher ration so your child gets the attention needed or you could look for an in home daycare. I went that route for the 1st 2 yrs. SOmeone that provides love and gives them tummy time, doesn't leave them in a cradle, or playpen, stimulates them with toys, play and interaction. That you can provide diapers, formula or breast milk and come to visit and feed at anytime unannounced. Do this before you sign up to see their interaction and how it feels. Gut feeling is as important as anything else. Stay relaxed about hings but also be firm about how you want your child taken care of. Enchanted care learning center in lewis center has a good infant program though I don't know their wait. Their ph ###-###-####. My son started in the preschool program last july and loves it. It is very colorful and the people are great. Feel free to email if you'd like to chat more.

S. striblin

I would suggest looking for Day Care now. My husband and I didn't start looking until our daughter was over a month old, and now we are having a difficult time getting in somewhere. Many of the places don't accept children under 18 months old or they have waiting lists with the next available opening in April or even June. I would refer you somewhere but we are new to the area and are pretty unfamiliar with the day care services around ourselves. Good Luck!

L.-
Congratulations! I take my daughter to LaPetite Academy. I believe at their website you can print out a list of questions to ask and things to look for. ALWAYS check out the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services- they license the daycares and inspect them. At that website you can find out the inspection grades and reports for the daycare.

Good luck!

E.

Hi there. I went through the very same issue and it was very overwhelming. What helped me is that I began to ask around people I worked with and knew, who they used for child care. I also pulled out the phone book and just started noting places in our area. The biggest thing is that the waitlists are terrible. It is amazing. For example, I am due in March, am going back to work in July, and had to secure daycare last October. For questions, I did some research on the internet for questions and there are alot out there. I hope this helps.

C. (Now in Delaware, Ohio)

Yes Yes Yes!!! You need to start now - trust me - after the baby comes you won't be wanting to think about that. Also - most good centers do have wait lists. What my husband and I did at SEVERAL places (churches, centers and private homes) is stop in at different times unannounced - and see what your gut tells you. One of us would always stop in on our way to work - when other parents were dropping their kids off. I would go in to ask questions (knowing they would be busy or couldn't give me a tour then) but to just see how they handled me and I would often ask other parents if they liked it - how long they had gone there etc. We ended up having our children in someone's home the first 18 months - there are pro's and con's to both - you just need someplace that is consistent with your values and what you feel comfortable with. Some of the sites that we had heard the most positive things about - when I stopped in I thought it was total chaos as well as dirty. The drop by visits were the best. ALSO - even after our children were in daycare - on days we maybe got off work early and were going to pick our child up early - WE NEVER CALLED and told them ahead. It is good to suprise every now and then. I am sorry this was lengthy - but I hope it helped. Good luck - childcare was a very hard decision I thought!
R.

L., I am mom to five and used to do my own in home daycare for three years, and worked at a daycare-taught pre-school for three years as well. My advice is honestly...a good SMALL home daycare, for a baby will ensure your infant gets a lot more one on one time. Daycares however, are more apt to have a rigourous schedule for your infant, and 5-7 other infants just like yours to care for...feeding time such and such a time, nap time such and such a time-whether your baby is "ready" or not. A home daycare is more suitable to the needs of their demands, not meeting a schedule set up for a group.

Good luck!

Hi L.,

Don't feel overwhelmed-- it will work out OK! You do want to start looking now, because there are waiting lists.

Look into Riverside Methodist Hospitals daycare, affiliated with the hospital. My friend has a son there. I send my son to Enchanted Care, though he was 16 months when he went-- we use the one in Dublin, near where I work, but there are others-- a big one in Powell. Another friend swears by Care-a-lot, which I think is the Grandview area. You want to observe the caretakers with the babies, and don't be too influenced by the physical surroundings, because that can be misleading. You should only go with an accredited program.

There are ads in the newspaper, too, for moms/nannies in the Clintonville area. If you found the right person you might feel comfortable with that option.

It's not easy to let go once yout peanut arrives, so lining up a daycare where you feel comfortable will ease the transition.

Good luck!

E.

Congratulations on your soon-to-be new arrival!

YES! Start looking immediately... we looked into childcare centers and the waiting lists at every one I checked (about 5 or so) was at least 18 months long.

First, decide what kind of care you want. Childcare centers, in-home daycare providers, or a nanny? There are advantages and disadvantages to each. It's usually the centers that have the waiting lists... I believe home daycare providers and nannies can both be found relatively easily.

It kind of depends what type you choose as to the questions you ask. If you know which type you want I can give you some more specific advise on that one.

ALWAYS tour/meet the provider. Go with your gut feeling... visit more than one so you can compare.

Some questions:
~How long is the waitlist?
~How much do you charge?
~What kind of education and experience do you have?
~Are you licensed?
~What is your teacher to infant ratio (1:4 is state mandated). (or if it is a home daycare... how many children do you have and what are their ages?)
~Am I allowed to drop by during the day to see my child? (This is important... I've heard stories of people not willing to let you drop by. To me that says there's something fishy going on that they don't want you to know about.)

Those are the more important questions that I'd ask over the phone. Some other things to ask at a tour or later:
~What do the children eat and what meals do you provide?
~What is the sick policy?
~What days are "vacation days?"
~Do I pay full price even when my child is not here?

And on the tour, look at the way the "teachers" interact with the children. What activities do the children get to participate in?

That's all I can think of right now. Good luck and feel free to e-mail me if you have more questions.

hi L. Where in columbus are you located, and when are you due? I may be able to help you, and there are alot of things you neeed to look for and ask sitters or daycares. I am a child care provider myself, out of my home, and I was looking just like you last year, before I started to run my own daycare. It is very scary. First you need to decide if you would like someone to come to your home, a private daycare(out of thier home)or a chain daycare such as Kindercare. If you dont know interview some from all options and decide from there. I can tell you someone coming to your home is hard to find, private sitters like myself tend to be less expensive than a chain daycare, but can be hard to find reliable dependable care, chain daycares although offer stablability, but there are alot of children, sickness, and can be a little more expensive. Though when your child is older preschool age chain daycare can be good for the learning and social, but if you can find a private sitter who works with children too, they are just as good. It all comes down to preference. I would love to talk to you more about it if you would like, just drop me an email. Good luck

The first thing you need to look for is make sure the centers follow ratios. There are age groups that have to have an exact amount of teachers for X amount of children. That is why infant childcare in centers have a waiting list. I would suggest once you find one you like pop in on them during different times of the day to ensure they are following that rule. I have worked in several centers and know that they tend to slack because "the state" calls them ahead of time to tell them they are coming. Also, when you pop in make sure they are playing with the children. Too often they are put in crib and not interacted with. I am not saying they "negglect" them but if they are under-staffed and over children, they children dont get interacted with. Ask about CPR and First Aide Certifications for ALL teachers. I know its overwhelming and there is SO much more, especially for infant care. I would set a day, if possible, aside and make a list of ALL centers in your area and visit them in that one day (or two). Ask any ? you have and write the answers. Also when you walk into the older classrooms look for chidren just sitting in the corner or playing alone. This signals the teacher isnt very observant. Also ask about their turnover rate. You dont want a new "teacher" every 2-3 months. Children get attached and get hearbroken when someone they likes isnt there anymore. If you need anymore help or have any ?'s feel free to email me.